Best Restaurant

The Lalime-Krikorian Family of Restaurants:Lalime'sJimmy Bean'sFonda

Once you accept the Best Everything Emeritus status of Chez Panisse and look at the East Bay's other fine restaurants, it's hard not to run into the Krikorians. This year Haig Krikorian and Cindy Lalime- Krikorian celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of Lalime's and opened Fonda Solana, a pan-Latino small-plates restaurant on Solano. Since Steve Jaramillo came on board as the executive chef for Lalime's and Fonda, the food has begun to display the innovation and exquisite taste that garnered the flagship restaurant its reputation. And the more casual Jimmy Bean's on Sixth and Gilman streets still has marvelous pizzas, sandwiches, and wraps. With special-occasion dinners, uniformly excellent service, and a monthly newsletter, the Krikorians have shown how to build a strong client base of regulars. Now they are showing us all how to expand one's empire while maintaining high standards.

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